Samantha had good reason to remember the news of “The Discovery”. She was 16 when her no-good stepfather killed her mother in a drunken rage. The news of a crashed alien spaceship on the moon and the ensuing chaos on Earth only added to the “ambiance” of her worldview.  She had discovered math at an early age and had found that in “the bad times” solving problems in her head brought her peace.

At the beginning of the 21st century, a company called Neuralink began to develop a neural implant to allow the human mind to operate and control a computer. The science had progressed to the point that, while not common, you could “elect” to have implants. They weren’t always effective. But at least they could be removed.

It took her almost two years to “solve” her problem. With her strong background in math had come more than a passing interest in many associated sciences. With eyes wide open she opted for the implants. Implants are not always effective. Hers were mostly effective. The doctors told her there might be scenarios where she might have problems.

She tried a couple of Earth-based companies as an equipment operator and found she had a knack for it. Basically, if it could be operated by a computer, she could control it. UAVs or mining equipment. It didn’t matter. Then she was contacted by the Consortium and offered a contract she couldn’t pass up. “Come to the Moon,” they said. They showed her a check with her name on it with an absurd number under the “Pay To” field.

Now here she was sitting on a potential bomb waiting to be thrown into space..